High volume suction is often used in medical and dental surgical procedures. Maintenance of a clear operating field necessitates removal of any fluids, solids or materials that would inhibit clear visualization of the surgical field. This vacuum evacuation maintains patient safety by preventing aspiration of fluid or other materials generated or liberated from surgical procedure such as blood, saliva, irrigation fluids, chemicals, as well as aerosolized vaporized debris from tissues from high speed drilling, laser cutting, electrocautery, or other modalities needed for completion of surgical procedures.
Due to the intensity of the vacuum and high flow characteristics of most suction tip designs, the suction tip has a fixed vacuum release orifice to prevent iatrogenic vacuum tissue impingement and damage, or retrograde back flow of materials, by maintenance of a opening in direct fluid intimate contact with the surgical field and the interior of the suction tip to equalize pressure if the main orifice is occluded. The vacuum release orifice, if present, is open at all times. If the tip lacks this orifice, vacuum of delicate tissues could result in damage to the patient as well as possibly contributing to cross contamination by back flow. Thus the vacuum release orifice is a beneficial and useful design aspect of the high volume suction tip.